Car-coupling.



T. R. BROWN. CAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1915.

Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I- T. .8. BROWN.

CAR COUPLING. APPLICATION min JULY 23,1915.

Patented Apr. 23,1918.

2 SHEETSSH EET 2- prairie sirarns Parana ounce,

THOMAS E. BEGVJN, GE SIABKILL, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 THE WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF WILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPQBATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

CAB-COUPLING.

Application filed July 23, 1915.

' To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, 'lnernxs B. Brown, a citizen of the United fitates, residing at tilparhill, in the county of Eochland and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful ln'iproveinent in Car-Vouplings, of which improvement the :t'ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to car coupling devices, and more particularly to car couplings of the so-called rigid lock type, in which hook-shaped projections having vertical plane surfaces engage each other by a relative lateral movement, and are tightly held by pivoted locking levers having cam faces and actuated by springs. It is necessary that the cam faces should be so formed as to securely clamp the coupling members together and prevent accidental pulling apart under heavy draft strains, and with such construction it has sometimes been found very dificult to release said cam levers either by hand or by means of fluid pressure actuated pistons, when it was desired to uncouple.

The object of my present invention is therefore to provide a cam lever mechanism which shall remain securely clamped wien couplers are subjected to the heaviest draft stresses, but adapted to be very easily released, either manually or by fluid pressure, in uncoupling the cars. With this object in view, my 131])1'O'Vell1l-Elll] comprises a cam lever device formed in separate parts, one having the usual care locking face, and another having a preliminary release movement independent of the cam locking member, for relieving the pressure upon the cam face whereupon the cam lever may be turned without diiliculty to release position.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a horizontal section showing the two counterpart couplers embodying my improvement, in the coupled position; Fig. 2, a side view of the locking lever; and Fig. 8, an end view of the same, with a portion broken away.

According to the construction shown in the drawings, the coupler comprises a main casting or coupler head, 12, adapted to be secured, preferably by a pivotal connection, 13, to the draw bar (not shown) and having a hook shaped projection, it, provided with a vertical plane surface, 15, inclined at an angle to the line of draft and adapted to Specification of Letters Patent.

li atented Apr. 23, 1918.

Serial No. 41,4473.

engage and interlock with a corresponding surface on the projection of a counterpart coupler by a relatlve lateral movement when couplers come together in the act of.

coupling. Each coupler is also provided with a movable lock, 16, preferably pivoted, as shown, and adapted to bear against a surface, 17, on the outer side of the projection, 1 1, of the counterpart coupler and hold said couplers securely cl amped together when in coupled position.

According to the preferred construction of my ii'nprovement, the pivoted lock is formed in two parts comprising the cam faced. lever, 16, and the operating lever, 16

7 pivotally mounted within the casting, and

having a curved surface, 11, engaging a corresponding surface on the cam lever, 16,

which latter is loosely mounted on the pivot,

and is provided with a hook shaped projection, 16", extending through an opening in the lever, 16, which has a preliminary releasing movement relative to the cam lever, during which the curved surface, 11, is disengaged from the cam lever to relieve the pressure thereon. The curve of the bearing surfaces, 11, is struck from a center which is eccentric to the center of the pivot of the cam lever, but is preferably concentric with the face of the cam lever, 16, whereby the two pr ts of the latch act as one rigid piece in resisting the d aft strains when the couplers are clzunped together, the thrust thus produced through the latch members acting radially, and, consecpiently, substantially at right angles to both said curved surfaces at all points f ngagement of the cam face.

The lever, 16, may be provided with arms, 16, pivotally connected to the rod, 19, of the piston, 18, mounted in a cylindrical chamber formed in the casting, and having a spring, 20, normally holding the piston and the lever members in the locking position. The spring acts to force the lever, 16 against the cam lever, 16, with the curved bearing surfaces in engagement with each other, and the cam face clamped against the surface, 17, of the counterpart couplers when the same are locked together, as indicated in Fig. 1. Any suitable form of valve may be employed for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to the operating piston.

The couplermay be released either manuthereby relieving the pressure of the cam faced lever Where it was clamped against the lockin face 1. of the counter )art cou ler so that the cam lever is very easily turned to its full releasing position by the further movement of the lever, 16*. I

When the couplers are coupled together and subjected to heavy draft strains, the cam face of lever, 16, becomes clamped against the locking face,17, with great pres- "sure. -The frictional resistance thus produced, acting through a lever'arm equal to the full length of the locking lever makes it very difiicult, at times, to release the prior form of coupler look, but with my present improvement, it will be seen that the preliminary release movement of lever, 16 may I be easily made, since the frictional resistance at the bearing surface, 11, acts through a very short lever arm, while the power arm remains the same as before. As the pressure on the cam face is thus relieved by the disengagement of the curved bearing surfaces, the latch may be easily and readily turned to its release position.

It will now be seen that I have provided a simple lever connection formed in separate parts having a relative preliminary movement in releasing, whereby the clamping pressure and resistance at the face of the cam leveris eliminated, or greatly reduced, and the cam lever may then be easily turned to release the coupler.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let I ters Patent is:

terpart couplers together, and comprising a cam member and a separate actuating member having a preliminary movement relative to said cam member for relieving the pressure thereon and a further movement therewith to the unlocked position.

2. In a car coupling of the rigid lock type, the combination of a locking mechanism for clamping the counterpart couplers together, and comprising a cam lever and a separate actuating member having a preliminary releasing movement relative to the cam lever for relieving the pressure thereon, and a further movement for Withdrawing the -am lever, and a spring opposing the release movement of said actuating member.

3. In a car coupling of the rigid lock type, the combination of a cam lever, and a sepa rate actuating member provided with a curved bearing surface for engaging said cam lever, and having a preliminary releasing movement relative to the cam lever for relieving the pressure thereon.

l. In a car coupling of the rigid lock type, the combination of a cam lever. a separate actuating lever provided with a curved surface eccentric to the pivot center of the lever, and having a preliminary movement relative to said cam lever for witl'idrawing said curved surface from engagement with the cam lever to relieve the pressure thereon, and a spring normally acting to hold said members in the locking position.

5. In a car coupling of the rigid lock type, the combination of a cam lever having a curved face, a separate actuating lever provided with a curved bearing surface engaging a corresponding surface upon said cam lever, said bearing surface being concentric with the cam face, and the actuating lever having a preliminary releasing movement relative to said cam lever for relieving the pressure thereon.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS R. BROWN.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

